Spring closure for collapsible tubes



p 1952 F. A. SENGER SPRING CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed July 16, 1949 INVENTOR 'r kA/v/r A. LYFN EE.

BY TORNEY Patented Sept. 9, i952 SPRING CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Frank A. Senger, Somerville, N. J., assignor to Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 16, 194.9,Serial No. 105,133

This invention relates to the class of collapsible tubes or containers having removable caps and particularly relates to a spring actuated closure for such tubes.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved spring device for closing collapsible tubes of the type generally used for containing and dispensing tooth paste, shaving cream, and other pharmaceutical preparations;

.Another object of this invention is to'pr'ovide a spring-action device for closing the orifice of a collapsible tube having a spring positioned inside the said tube, which device yields to pressure on the tube and permits the tube contents to be expelled and upon release of pressure closes the orifice and seals the tube contents in the tube.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following specification when taken in connection with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a collapsible tube with the spring closure assembly in position and showing the relation of the spring closure and the cap to the body of the tube;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragment of Figure 1, showing the position of the spring closure with the cap removed from the tube;

Figure 3 is a horizontal plan of Figure 2 showing the spring closure in position;

Figure 4 is an inverted plan section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged representation of the unassembled parts of the spring closure.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a spring-action device for closing the orifice of a collapsible tube which is not susceptible of easy detachment from the tube and thus is not readily lost or displaced.

Referring to the drawing and to Figure 1, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference character 2 designates a container which is ordinarily in the form of a metallic collapsible tube. The container as illustrated is provided with the usual screwthreaded neck l2 and a screw-threaded cap 4, fitted in position in threaded relation with the tube neck. The device of this invention may, however, be used on a tube in which a tube cap is not used and efiectively seal the contents of the tube therein. Figure 1 also shows the relative position of the spring closure device, which in the preferred embodiment, consists of a spherical stopper l0, larger in diameter than the neck of the tube, but having a diameter of such a size that it will not pass through the neck of the tube,

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-496) and aspring l4 attached to the stopper l0 and positioned inside the tube.

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 clearly Show the relationship and positioning of the spring closure device with respect to the collapsible tube. Itwill be seen that in the embodiment illustrated in these figures, spring member 14 is passed through a hole in the stopper and is bent at one end to prevent separation of the stopperfrom spring wire. Spring wire [4 extends into the tube and then is bent at an angle greater than degrees in a first bend l9, and is bent at an angle of less than degrees in a second bend to make an elbow l8. Elbow l8 fits snugly against the conical part 6 at a position below neck l2 and above tube body It. The spring wire then extends across the width of the tube body and is of sufficient length so that the end 20 of the spring wire fits against the side of the tube body It just below the point where the conical part 6 of the tube body begins.

In the preferred embodiment of the spring closure device, as illustrated in the drawings, the spring may not be removed from the collapsible tube without the use of a substantial amount of force, but when pressure is applied to the collapsible tube with the purpose of expelling the contents from the orifice of the tube neck, the said contents of the tube are forced against the stopper and cause the stopper to be raised above the opening in the neck with a consequent expulsion of the contents of the tube. When pressure is released from the collapsible tube, the action of the spring brings the stopper back in close contact with the rim of the tube neck and efiectively seals the contents within the tube and prevents evaporation of any volatile materials in the contents of the tube and in general makes an air-tight seal of the tube.

The spring closure device may be readily inserted into a collapsible tube by inserting that part of the spring which is adjacent to end 20 into the tube and then exerting pressure on the spring at the bend I8 in order to bring that part of the spring in approximate alignment with the other parts of the spring. In this way the whole of the spring member approximates alignment and may be inserted into the neck of the tube to a sufiicient distance that bend l8 slips past the narrow opening of the neck and assumes the position on the surface of the conical part of the tube, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In order for bend l8 to slip past the narrow opening of the neck it is necessary that portion I! of the spring, between bends I 8 and I 9 be of such a length that it is less than the distance from bend I9 to the corner formed by the conical part of the tube 6 and the tube neck l2 when the spring is fully inserted into the tube and ready for use.

Stopper I may be fabricated of glass, rubber, or any plastic or other material which is inert with respect to the contents of the tube and may be spherical, or may have any shape which will permit of efiicient closure of the tube orifice; The spring may be composed of any metallic substance, such as spring steel, having suitable spring-like character. The spring may beattached to the stopper in any suitablefashion and may be integral with the stopper.

From the description above, it will be readily apparent that a device according to the present invention may be simply constructed and economically manufactured and sold. The device may be made in different sizes to conform to the 4 therethrough, a cylindrical tube body closed at one end, and a conical tube part between the neck and tube body; a stopper for closing the opening in the tube neck and seated therein, a spring attached to said stopper and extending through the tube neck and into the tube with a first bend and a second bend, the spring at the point of the second bend resting against the conical tube part, and at its end resting against the cylindrical tube body at the juncture of the said cylindrical tube body and the said conical tube part; the distance between the-first and second bends in the spring being less than the distance between the first bend and-the juncture of the conical part of the tubewith the tube neck when the spring is positioned inside the tube; the spring in position being adapted to yieldably hold the stopper against the tube neck and over the opening in the said tube neck.

FRANK A. SENGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,883,716 Greenlees Oct. 18, 1932 l;9l2,022 Thompson May 30, 1933 2,114,482 Vrtel Apr. 19, v1938 

